


It's Beginning...

by FadingIntoYou



Category: Code Black (TV)
Genre: Christmas, F/M, holiday fics, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-09 02:31:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5522156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FadingIntoYou/pseuds/FadingIntoYou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt for orchidlover : Leanne cooks Christmas dinner, Jesse in a Santa suit, and some romance thrown in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Beginning...

Leanne pinched her lower lip, ideas rolling around as she thought over Jesse's proposal. She hadn't made a Christmas dinner in over three years, and it made her anxious to even consider his plea. If she were being honest, had it not been Jesse that asked, she never would have even given it a second thought.

_She was sitting next in the lounge with her head tipped back, resting on the back of the couch as she took a deep breath. It was two weeks to Christmas, and there was plenty of buzz about upcoming holiday plans, but her residents were another story entirely. Because none of their family was local, they were all trying to make plans to get a meal together or work shifts so they weren't alone, and it had stuck with her. She'd always had family to spend the holidays with, and then a family of her own, and she couldn’t help but look at them and wonder if they were as lonely as she had become. She didn't want to need people, but the holidays were built around loved ones; she'd spent the last couple years desperately trying to find a way around that._

_“You look like...well, crap”_

_Leanne turned her head in the vision and raised an eyebrow at Jesse, tracking his movements as he went over to make a fresh pot of coffee._

_“I'm not even going to dignify that with a response,” she replied flatly, turning her eyes up to the ceiling before closing them once again._

_“That's because I'm right,” he said smugly, and she just flipped him off, not bothering to move an inch. She was aware that she looked exhausted, but it was almost two weeks until Christmas; she always felt her energy drain the closer it came recently. There wasn’t the rush of buying gifts at toy stores and hiding them on shelves around the house; it took everything she had to just combat the hollow feeling she was slowly getting used to._

_“Leanne…” Jesse said almost hesitantly, and she turned her head, watching him suspiciously as he lowered himself onto the couch beside her, stirring his coffee to keep his hands busy._

_“Why do I have a feeling that you’re going to ask for a kidney?” She asked wearily, raising her eyebrow slightly as he cleared his throat. Jesse almost never tiptoed around her, but he was being careful, and it mildly worried her._

_“I know it isn’t your thing, but what if we decided to do Christmas dinner for us and the residents?” He asked, his body going in on itself as if to protect him from her answer. Leanne looked at Jesse incredulously, but she could see the sincerity written all over his face. It must have taken him a while to actually ask her._

_“Jesse-” she started to protest, but he interrupted her, his eyes pleading with her to just hear him out._

_“Just consider it. They don’t have any family to spend it with, and neither do we. You, Neal, and I try to have dinner if we’re not working, but they’re alone. They either can’t get the time off, or can’t afford it. I just think it’d be nice for them to know we care beyond what they do here,” he said, motioning around him. She inclined her head, understanding where he was coming from, but she didn’t know if she could do it. It would be a large affair, and just the thought scared her a bit. She didn’t want to just turn him down flat, so she laid back against the couch again, staying silent as she felt his eyes bore a hole in the side of her head._

_“I...I don’t know. Give me a few days”_

It’s been three days, and she still didn;t have an answer for him. He kept giving her those kicked puppy eyes, and she kept avoiding them the best she could until she came up with something. She was filling out a chart at the nurses station when she saw Neal come closer, and she decided she'd just bite the bullet. She turned towards him as he reached for a chart of his own, smiling at her as he began writing something down.

“What do you think of Christmas dinner?” She asked directly, and he gave her a confused glance as he continued writing.

“Uh, I'm particularly fond of it when I get the chance to be home. But you know how often that happens,” he remarked, and she nodded, knowing that he can only go every four or five years because him and his father were doctors. It didn't exactly mean that their schedules were any more flexible than it already was, and it was already pretty grim.

“Jesse wants me to make a Christmas dinner for us and the residents so no one is alone,” she muttered, watching his face to gauge his reaction. His eyebrows rose momentarily before a small smirk appeared.

“And I take it you are less than thrilled?” He asked, giving her a look as she looked away.

“You know how long it's been since I've done that…” She said, and his look became soft as he noticed the uncertainty on her face. He knew it would be quite the challenge, but the more he thought about it, the more he thought that Jesse was really onto something.

“Well, if my opinion matters, I'm all for it”

“Of course you are,” she replied, looking mildly annoyed as he smiled genuinely.

“Hey, I never turn down free food. And I've had your food Leanne, I wouldn't miss out on that for anything,” he commented, putting a hand briefly on her shoulder as he saw a gurney roll in.

“Traitor,” she muttered, shutting her chart harder than necessary as she watched him walk away. He turned for a second to send her an amused glare, and she tried to hide the smirk as she turned back around.

“I heard that,” he said, and just shook his head. He was glad she was considering the idea; she needed to find a way to work on moving forward, and this seemed like a great start.

Leanne pulled out her phone, scrolling down to find Jesse's number as she typed out a text.

Okay, I'll do it. I have Neal covered, ask the residents and let me know.

All she got in return was a smiley face, and she shoved it back in her pocket as she picked up a few more charts, going to hide out in her office for a while until her sanity returned.

_____

When Leanne had gone into the lounge to grab a cup of coffee before her break was up, she kept her hand on the knob of the door as she bit her lip in sympathy. Cole was slouching in a chair, his feet resting on another while his arms crossed over his chest, his gentle, even breathing a dead giveaway. They have been keeping their distance from one another recently, ever since she kissed him a few weeks ago. She knew it was another part of her moving on, but she also wasn't sure what exactly she had meant by it. Apparently he felt the same, because uncharacteristically for him, he'd avoided asking her about it. She thought he just wanted to wait until he got her alone to ask, but they'd been alone a few times, and all he'd talk about was the weather, or a surgery, and she found that she was really starting to dislike small talk when it came to him. She tried to be quiet as she poured a cup, but the sound of the pot being put back in the coffee maker woke him. He jerked in his sleep, and she'd been watching him this entire time, just comforted by the lack of silence. You'd think she'd want peace and quiet, but knowing he was there kept her from being alone with her thoughts. Their dinner was in a few days, and she was already prepared to have the seven of them at her home, but the longer she thought about it, there was just part of it that kept telling her it was too soon.

She didn't realize she had been zoning out staring at Cole, and he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably as he pulled his feet back onto the floor. He looked up at her briefly, nodding as he started to get up and out of his chair. He stretched, and Leanne was torn.

“So, what are your plans for Christmas?” She asked, shrugging a shoulder as she tried to look nonchalant. She wasn't sure if he and Rollie had plans, or if they were working, and she found that she was hoping he was free.

“Uh, my father’s working...so it’ll probably just be Chinese and A Christmas Story,” he answered, crossing his arms again.

“Well…,” she started, and he looked at her uncertainly as she tried to find the right words, “I'm making dinner for my residents, since they can't be with their families. There's room for one more if you want,” she offered, and the surprised look on his face made her grin.

“It's fine, really,” he said, and Leanne felt a bit sad at him brushing her off, “don't feel obligated to invite me. I'll be fine on my own,” he added, and she just shook her head, annoyed with how stubborn he was being.

“I didn't realize that was what I was doing,” she responded dryly, and he looked apologetic at her as she moved towards the door with her cup in her hand.

“Jesse and Neal are working that morning and the residents are on call. I have it off, so like I said; if you want, there's room for you,” she reiterated, and she didn't know why she was pushing for him to accept. Maybe like her, the idea of being lonely felt normal, and she wanted to change that if she could.

“I'm on call, but I'm off the entire day,” he said cautiously, and Leanne nodded, trying to wait him out as he thought about her offer.

“I...uh, did you need any help? With the food?” He asked, running a hand over his beard as she cocked her head, surprised by the proposal. It wasn't that she assumed he didn't cook, but more that he'd want to help her. She was bossy, and he knew that, and he was still asking.

“Yeah, that'd be great Cole,” she said easily, and the smile she got in return made her rethink her earlier worries.

_____

“You are tough; I know I've told you that before, but I feel like I should say it again,” he grumbles, peeling what seemed to be his 800th potato. He was being dramatic of course, but honestly, how much mashed potatoes were really necessary? He had chopped almost all of the potatoes they needed, but Leanne insisted on a few more, just to ensure there was enough to go around. He watched Leanne roll her eyes, going to stir something on the stove as he kept peeling.

“And I thought the kids could complain with the best of them...” She mutters absently, but Cole hears her, looking over as she freezes. She didn't mean to let it slip, but this whole day had been...easy. Cole hadn't tried to do anything more than be helpful, and she just let the radio keep them from trying to really talk. She knew it wasn't going to work forever, but a small part of her had hoped.

“I'm going to uh, start cutting these up,” Cole says, ignoring her slip as he grabs a knife and cutting board from the island in her kitchen. The silence between them was deafening, so Leanne went into a cabinet, grabbing two small glasses, pulling down a bottle from the cabinet beside it before going into her refrigerator. She pulled out eggnog, pouring a small amount in before filling the rest of the glass with brandy. Cole watched her subtly, impressed at how she didn't even flinch at the burn of alcohol. She raised the glass towards him from across the kitchen, and he nodded.

“You want less alcohol?” She asked sarcastically, and he shook his head, smirking as she poured herself a refill and him a glass.

“Nope, however you take it is fine by me” he replied, cutting the potatoes swiftly as he started dumping them into the water she had going. She was content to watch him as she took a much needed break, sliding his glass over to the cutting board while he finished up with the potatoes.

“So, why did you take me up on my offer to help? I know I couldn't have been the only one to ask,” he says with his back turned to her, hoping he sounded less anxious about his question than he actually felt. Leanne was sipping on her drink, thinking of an honest answer as he turned back around. He pick up his glass and took a sip, blowing out a breath when he realized how much alcohol was actually in it.

“Smooth,” he remarks, and she huffs out a laugh as he takes another drink.

“I guess, I just thought...with you, I know what to expect,” she said shrugging, and he didn't know how to take that, so he stayed silent. And because he did, she called him on it.

“Are we going to continue ignoring the argyle elephant in the room?” She asked exasperated, and that made Cole laugh, drinking the rest of his brandy (with a dash of eggnog). He put his glass down and leaned his forearms on her island, looking over as she sat on a stool opposite him. There was still a foot or so between them, and Cole shrugged, resting his weight on his arms.

“When I found out about Jesse's heart attack...I just figured it was an impulsive decision,” he said casually, as if it made perfect sense. He didn't think she'd been looking for him specifically, and he wasn't going to get his hopes up. He'd seen her and Hudson together, and he thought there might be something there.

“It was,” she agreed, “but it doesn't mean that I regret it,” she admits, and Cole has a hard time meeting her gaze. He didn't want to talk about this, but it seemed like she was intent on clearing the air.

“Did you know that I wanted to be a chef when I was a kid?” Leanne looks at Cole, surprised by the abrupt change in subject, but allows it because maybe, he wasn't ready to talk about this.

“I don't know much about you,” she replies, and he nods, accepting the dig for what it was.

“Yeah, well I used to have a job for families dinners. The women in my family spent their time in the kitchen, and because it was just my mom and I, I always wanted to be around her...so they put me to work. I actually haven't helped with a big dinner like this since she's been gone,” he says lowly, dropping his head to stare at the space in front of his arms.

“Oh Cole, I'm sorry if this-” she says, motioning around her kitchen absently. She didn't want to cause him discomfort.

“It's fine. I actually am enjoying myself,” he says, looking back at her meaningfully, “I have you to thank for that. You're doing this to make them feel like they're not alone on a holiday made for families. I can get behind that”

“Thanks,” she murmured, her skin flushing at the praise. She dropped her eyes, not knowing what else to do when the timer for the oven went off, and then her doorbell rang. They looked back at one another, silently agree to table their conversation while they attended to their duties.

“I'll go let them in,” she said, getting up as he nodded, turning away from her to grab oven mitts, reaching new for the meat in the oven.

“Go ahead, I can handle things here”

_____

Dinner had been a hit, and now Leanne was in the kitchen, taking a breather before bringing out the desserts the residents had brought. Angus and Mario brought a coffee cake, and Christa and Malaya brought an assortment of cookies they baked the night before. She smiled looking down at her island again, which was covered in sugary confections this time. She had Jesse’s leftovers set aside since he was called back in, and she was sad to know he'd missed out on dinner. It hadn't been as painful as she thought, sitting at the head of her table as she looked down at everyone enjoying their food. To her left was Cole, and next to him was Malaya, who surprisingly was able to engage him in conversation about basketball and the lack of future they predicted for the Lakers this season. She smiled to herself at that, secretly glad that someone beside herself was able to get to know Cole. Angus was beside her, and was able to interject some humor, but he was also starting to ask Cole questions when he wasn't conversing with Mario across from him. Even Mario was throwing in his two sense about whatever topic they were on, and it was fun to watch Cole talk animatedly with people that also looked up to him.

To her right was Neal, and he alternated between talking to Christa and talking to everyone else, but she could see how much he lit up when they had something in common. She'd seen the admiration for him in Christa from the beginning, but something had grown between them. It was nice to see, because Neal deserved to be happy, and she didn't want him to let it pass. She'd keep an eye on them, because he was family, and his happiness was important to her.

As she was pulling out a few mugs for coffee, Neal came in, offering to help her as they silently retrieved plates and containers of milk and sugar. They moved in silence, Neal only speaking when he didn't see something out as she stayed relatively silent.

“So, Cole is seeming to get along with everyone,” he stated, not looking at her as he cut into the coffee cake. She wasn't sure what he was alluding to, so she chose to gently push back.

“Yeah, a lot like you were getting along with Christa,” she mentioned, and the quick look he sent her didn't require words. She'd known him too long to ignore the way his eyes softened and his smile became almost shy.

“Okay, that's all I'm saying on the subject,” he murmured, not willing to push her if she wasn't going to just come out and confide in him. She put down the pot of coffee she'd picked up, looking at him head on as she cleared her throat uncomfortably.

“It's...he's not so bad,” she defended, and he held his hands up in surrender.

“I didn't say he was. I just saw the way the two of you looked at one another when you spoke…” He trailed off, sending her a knowing look as he took his life in his own hands. He knew he was pushing her, but he hadn't seen her so soft and unapologetically content in a really long time.

“He and I...we’re friends,” she settled on, and he just raised an eyebrow as he took a couple plates in his hands.

“You don't look at Jesse that way,” he said, making a quick escape as she glared at him. She couldn't believe he'd said that, and she was still shaking her head as she heard footsteps come back into the kitchen.

“You're a very brave man,” she said over her shoulder, not bothering to look as she poured her last cup.

“Whatever it was, I swear I didn't do it,” she heard, and she let out a self conscious laugh as she turned around, coming face to face with Cole. He was looking comfortable and relaxed, and it made her smile. She may not know much about him, but their was something there that they kept ignoring.

“You missed Jesse coming in,” he said, and she smirked, knowing that her Santa suit-clad best friend was being a dork and loving it. She loved that man for all of his quirks, and she didn't know what she'd do without him.

“He wanted me to give you your gift, said you'd want it immediately,” he said confusedly, handing her over a thin box with a lid, and when she opened it, she bit her lip as she tried to contain her laughter. She shook her head, and he looked baffled as she pulled out the gift, holding it up so he could see it. When he realized what it was, he just grinned, putting his hands in his pockets as they stood a few feet apart.

“That's funny. He gave me a stress ball,” he mentioned, and she laughed loudly at the implication. He shrugged, an easy smile on his face, taking the joke in stride. Leanne just looked up at him again, watching him stare down at her, his body leaning against the counter beside her sink, maybe three feet separating them. She realized that he had his jacket on, and her face involuntarily fell as he looked sadly back at her.

“They just got notice of a crash victim that's going to need surgery, but they’re almost a half hour out with traffic. I have to get going…” He said, pulling his hands out of his pockets as he took a few steps forward, unsure about her reaction when he wanted to hug her.

When his hands came out, she reached out, placing her hands under his shoulders as he held her close. She put her cheek against his chest, listening to his breathing as he tucked her under his chin. Cole tilted his head down, kissing her hair lightly as he began to release her. She felt his arms loosen around her, and she watched as he shook his head, lowering his voice to talk quietly to her.

“Thank you for including me, it's been one of the better holidays I've had in awhile. And because it's tradition…” he said, and she leaned up as he came down, kissing her cheek gently as he pulled away, almost disappointed and not even trying to hide it.

“Not what I was expecting,” she whispers, giving him a confused look as he ran a hand over his neck, standing up straight and putting some distance between them.

“Just once,” he sighed, almost pained at the emotions crossing her face rapidly, “I wouldn't mind kissing you because it's what you wanted”

He touched the mistletoe in her hands, held between them as he took a step away, giving her a half smile as he made his way out.

“I had a good time Leanne. I'll see you later”

Leanne watched his back as he went into the living room, saying goodbye to everyone. She looked back down at the plant in her hands, and tossing it down in the counter as she slowly made her way to the front door, waiting for him before deciding to stand in the entryway of her living room. He was right; she was almost playing with his head, and it wasn't fair. He shook Jesse’s hand last before heading her way, and gave her a quizzical look, tilting his head as he stepped in closer. She assumed he was just going to hug her again, but he took the keys from his right hand and dropped them into the seat beside Neal as he reached for her face. She panicked for a second, but gave in as he tilted her head backwards, putting all of his feelings into his kiss as she helplessly gripped at his hips while returning it. When he pulled away, he winked at her, grabbing his keys once she let him go. He came in close again, and she ducked her head, looking away as he cradled her neck in one hand. He tilted her head away from him, wanting to whisper in her ear before he made his getaway.

“That, is because I wanted to, and because I couldn't help myself. And no, there's no way I’d ever regret it,” he says, breath heavy against her ear as he moves around her, opening and shutting the door swiftly as she faces the other guests in her home. She doesn't dare to look at Jesse, but if the smug look on Neal’s face was anything to go by, it was going to be a long rest of the year. She felt her ears get hot as she noticed the residents gawking at her, and tucked some hair behind her ear as she walked away.

“So, coffee anyone?”

**Author's Note:**

> Meryl Christmas and/or happy holidays everyone!


End file.
